Searchlight



H. B. STAMM.

SEARCHUGHT.

APPLICATION FILED MAR. 31, 1919,

Patented Mar. 23, 1920.

HOWARD B. STAMM, OF CINCINNATI. OHIO.

" SEARCH'LIGHT.

Spccificaiionoli Letters Patent. Pa hh d \hu 23, [$)Z() Applicationfiled March 31, 1919. Serial No. 286.318.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, HOWARD B. STAMM, a citizen of the UnitedStates,residing at Cin cinnati, in the county of l-lamilton and State of Ohio,have invented certain new and use ful Improvements in Searchlight-s ofwhich the following is a specification.

My invention relates to im 'u'oven'ients in search lights forautomobiles and similar purposes. One of its objects is to provide animproved reflector adapted to direct the light rays in the desireddirection and to avoid a blinding glare in the eves of pedestrians ordriversof vehicles moving in the opposite direction. Another object '?isto provide an improved reflector for the purpose readily applicable tosearch lights here tofore in use to incan'porate therein the dc sirablereflecting properties mentioned. My invention also comprises certaindetails of structn'ie and arrangement, all of which will be fully forthin the description of the accompanying drawings, in which:

Figure 1 is a front elevation of a search light embodying myimprovements.

Fig. 2 is a central vertical section on line 2 2 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a plan of my improved supplemental reflector detached.

Fig. -l is an enlarged sectional detail.

Fig. 5 is a detail perspective view of a portion of the detachablereflector.

The accompanying drawings illustrate the preferred embodiment of minvention in, which 5 represents a parabo ic reflector of the generaltype heretofore in use. 6 represents a plane glass or lense across thefront of the reflector, and 7 a metal housing or casing of usual type.An incandescent electric 1i ht bulb or other source of light 8 islocated at the focus of the parabolic reflector 5 to afford a strongpencil of light-rays directed at the road some distance in ad vance ofthe vehicle, and requisite on CUUIM try roads and other laces where thestreets and roads are not ot erwise illuminated.

A similar but smaller incandescent electric light bulb 9 is alsopreferably provided to provide a dimmed light for use as a signo] lightWhere the use of the. bulb 8 would afford an unnecessary amount oflight.

In order to direct the rays from the bulb 8 forward and downwardly uponthe road, and so as to prevent rays therefrom entering twbyes ofpedestrians on :hc. is! met or drivers of other vehicles, i provide asupplemental or insert reflector 10, which presents two convex facesupwardly toward the bulb it and two concave faces downwardly toward the.bulb F1. and provided with a downwardly directed tongue 11. at its forward central portion in position to be interposed in from of and tointercept any rays which might issue directl; from the bulb or source.of light 8 so as to enter the eyes of a pedestrian or other driver.

The two con vex concave reflector sections 10 and 10 are. united at thevertical center in a downwardly proje ting rib or crease 13.

The reflector so arranged serves to diffuse the light issuingfroni'above the reflector 1.). and to concentrate the light issuing frombelow reflector l0. Thelight issuing from below the reflector 10 isdirected in a fan m blade shaped pencil slightly downwardly and e enlyover the face of the road, where it serves its purpose of enabling theoperator to guide his machine without directing rays of light into theeyes of others. This form of supplemental or insert reflector with itsdownwardly directed medial rib is relatively rigid and well adapted toretain its positio e ative to the light bulb and the parabolicreflector. and to conserve and concentrate tlie light upon and adjacentto the road who're it will best serve. the operators purpose withoutinjury to others.

The insert reflector 10 has lugs 12 at opposite sides at the front, tobe clam ed between the glass 6 and the marginal f iice or flange it ofthe parabolic reflector to hold the reflector 10 in position, and at therear reflector 10 has a. recess 19 which fits owl and is supported bythe tubular socket 20 of the light bulb to firmly support the reflectorit) in place. Reflector 10 preferably also has a marginal band 15 With ahead 16 to fit closely against the face of the reflector 5. In order toprevent noise, rattling, or injury to the. reflectors Where they meet,or the .escape of light through the joint between the reflectors. I alsopreferably rovide a cord or band of textile material it, such as felt.plush, or velvet for instance, which rests in the recess or head 16.and. is retained thereby against displacement.

The li 'ht bulb 9 bein out of the focus of the re ector and the .ace ofthe reflector 10 directed toward the bulb 9 being convex, both tend todisseminate the liizht rays given tit out from the .bulb 9, so thatthere will be no region of suflicicnt intensity to have a blindingeffect.

lhe l1 ht to s directed upwardl and forwardly rom t It bulb 8 and whiciwithout the insert reflector would be liable to interfere with thevision of others are re rcivcd by thuconcavc faces of reflector l0 andthe tongue 11 thereof, and are either interrupted entirely or reflecteddownwardly upon the lower portion of the reflector From reflector 5these rays are again reflected together with other downwardly androarwardly directed rays from the bulb 8 along paths to produce a wideflat fan r21 binds shaped pencil of rays dirccted upon the road in frontof the vehicle, and which I have found to give the most satisfactoryilluminating results. This ty )c of sup lcmental rvflector also affordsso I cicnt diffused light or rays of less intensity at the oppositesides of the intense ventral iil-ulc of illumination so that trans,houses 1nd other objects at the sides of the road may be seen andpossible obstructions uvii ictl. This \lifl'nscd light at the sides alsomaterially assists in rounding curves in the road where the iencil ofintensev illumination tcm 'iorarily does not fall upon the road. Theblade of intense illumination is directed from the lower portion of there flector, and at no point is high enough to materially interfere withother ersons. The reflectors 10 may readily be inserted and applied toany reflector i hts heretofore in use of the eneral t 'pe il ustrated.

The apparatus erein illustrated and dc-- scribed 15 capable ofconsiderable modification within the scope of the claims withoutdeparting from the principle of my invention,

hat I claim is.

1. In combination with a reflector of the parabolic type having a sourceof light at substantially the focal point of said parabolic reflector,an insert reflector comprising two curved reflecting surfacesintersecting along a vertical plane at substantially the focal point ofsaid parabolic reflector and having a marginal flange to closely fit thesurface of said parabolic re flector and an interposed light excludingpacking material between the adjacent faces of said parabolic reflectorand said insert reflector, said insert reflector serving to divide thespace within said parabolic reflector into an upper compartment and alower compartment with said. source of light in said lower compartment.

2. A search lijit comprising a reflector the lower half 0 which is ofthe parabolic type, and the upper rtion 0t wmcn com prises two concaveownwiudly reflect curved faces intersecting at a medial ri above thefocal point of said parabolic sec-" said reflector, and a reflectorinterposed'bel6 tween said light bulbs and presenting a convexreflecting surface at each side of a vertical medial line toward thelight bulb in the upper compartment, and a concave reflecting surface ateach side of a medial vertical line toward the light bulb in the lowerreflector compartment, united by a medial rib extending downwardly atits forward end and serving to intercept the upwardly directed andcentrally forwardly 85 directed rays from the light bulb in the lowerreflector compartment.

4. In combination with a reflector of the parabolic type. having asource of lightjat substantially the focal point of.snid parabolicreflector, an insert reflector havin two" concave downwardly reflectingcurved surfaces meeting in a middle rib from front to back of thereflector substantially above thefocal point of said parabolicreflector.

said insert reflector being located above said source of light anddividing! the interior space of said parabolic reflector into an upperand lower compartment and intercepting the upwardly directed and contrally forwardly directed rays from said source of light and reflectinga rtion thereof .upon the lower half of sni pain bolie reflector to hethereby reflected out upon the road.

5. In combination with a reflector of the parabolic type having a sourceof light atML substantially the focal pointof said parabolic reflector.an insert reflector having two concave downwardly reflecting surfacesmeeting in a middlerib from front to back itllOVt' the source of lightand dividing the interior space of said parabolic reflect/0'! into anupper compartment and a lower compbrtment, said insert reflector havingsupportL ing lugs at the extremities of its front edge and a point ofengagement. with the light, socket at the rear of said parabolicreflpetor.

In testimony whereof I have aflixed my signature.

HOWARD B. STAMM.

